The exact cause of the crime cannot be remembered as it happened a long time ago, but the punishment is still _______ and vivid: Dig up the fig tree（無花果）in the backyard and plant it at Mumsy’s place in the country. As I often did when sentenced to hard labor in the garden, I suspected this was my parents’ way of _______me to do their dirty work.

It was a Sunday morning. With some tools, I went at the tree, cutting it branch by branch and limb by limb, _______all that remained of the once-proud specimen（標(biāo)本，樣本）was a sorry-looking stump of a thing.

“What did that_________ever do to you?” my father said, “You should have left some taproot (主根)of it, at least. Go and load up the truck.” On any other day before, during the_______to Mumsy’s, we would have pleasantly_______school as usual, but I fenced myself off that time.

Then, at Mumsy’s, instead of sitting back to watch me work, he_______me. As my father and I took turns to work, I could feel my anger_______, making room for the simple satisfaction of working at my father’s side_______a common goal.

“Well,” my father said when we________, “we’ve done what we can do.” “Do you think there’s any________that it can grow up?” I asked. “It’s rich dirt. They say you can________toenails（指甲）in it and grow little kids.” My father answered. I never tried the toenail trick, but I did________as it settled in, took root, and began to prosper. I was amazed and________when bowls of figs began to fill the fridge.

In a perfectly________world, I don’t deserve the reward. I had________the tree for my own complaints. What right did I have to the fruit? Years later, I put this________to my father. Watching him slide a bowl of figs from the fridge one morning, I felt a sudden stab of shame for my boyhood________. My father took a fig from the________and let me think of the fruit as forgiveness. “You,” he said, “________some of that.”

1.A. certain B. strange C. common D. clear

2.A. inviting B. letting C. getting D. helping

3.A. since B. when C. until D. after

4.A. truck B. tool C. tree D. taproot

5.A. rest B. flight C. walk D. ride

6.A. thought over B. talked about C. broke into D. gave up

7.A. forgave B. tricked C. entertained D. joined

8.A. disappeared B. concentrated C. approached D. exploded

9.A. through B. against C. toward D. off

10.A. argued B. continued C. started D. finished

11.A. relationship B. value C. advantage D. chance

12.A. dig B. plant C. remove D. observe

13.A. understand B. determine C. watch D. feel

14.A. confused B. happy C. regretful D. disappointed

15.A. fair B. strange C. usual D. easy

16.A. frogotten B. cut C. helped D. guarded

17.A. task B. answer C. question D. action

18.A. suffering B. misfortune C. sorrow D. rudeness

19.A. bowl B. desk C. kitchen D. fridge

20.A. deserve B. receive C. protect D. suspect

  A long time ago during wartime,a soldier went away to fight. His wife was expecting a baby (不久要生孩子 了) . When the baby learned to talk,he always asked his mother ,“Where is my father?” The mother got tired of his questions.One night she pointed to her shadow on the wall and said, “That is your father." After that,she pointed to her shadow every night at dinner time and said his father would eat dinner with them. This made the boy feel happy.

   Finally,the war was over. The husband came home. But when he arrived at his house,the wife was out. He saw the little boy. He knew it was his son,but the child said, “You are not my father. He won’t be home until dinner time. ”

   The father was very angry. Then his wife arrived. He said that she had been a bad wife,and he would not listen to her. Then the wife left so sadly that she jumped into the river and killed herself.

   That night,the boy saw his father's shadow on the wall. He pointed to it and said ,“Now my father is home.Then the man understood. But it was too late!

6. When the soldier arrived at home,his wife .

   A. was cooking dinner   B. was out

   C. was in the river   D. was having dinner

7. What do you think of the soldier's wife?

   A. She was a bad wife. B. She was a bad mother.

   C. She was a good wife. D. She was ugly.

8. What made the boy feel happy?

   A. His mother ate dinner with him.

   B. His father came back.

   C. The dinner was delicious.

   D. He thought his father would have dinner with him.

9. Why was the soldier angry?

   A. Because his wife was out. B. Because his son didn't know him.

   C. Because he thought his wife had been a bad wife. D. Because his wife didn't cook for him.

10. What happened to the wife at last?

   A. She was so sad that she killed her husband.

   B. She was so sad that she jumped into the river and killed herself.

   C. She was so sad that she killed her son.

   D. She was so sad that she left her home angrily.

The sun is really a star. It’s much bigger than the earth and it is very hot. Some people have been to the moon, but we know no one can go to the sun. It’s too hot for people to live anywhere near it. The sun is three hundred thousand times heavier than the earth and more than a million times larger.

1.Long ago people thought_____.

A. the sun circled the earth

B.the earth circled the sun

C.the earth went round the sun

D.the moon went round the sun

2.It takes_____.

A. the sun one year to go all the way round the earth

B.the earth one year to go all the way round the sun

C.the earth one month to go round the sun

D.the sun one month to go round the earth

3.In fact the earth travels _____in the space.

A. a million kilometers an hour

B.half a thousand kilometers a minute

C.very fast

D.very slowly

4.People can never live anywhere near the sun because_____.

A. the sun is too hot

B.the sun is too far

C.the sun is too big

D.spaceships can’t reach the sun

5.The earth is_____.

A. as heavy as the sun

B.much heavier than the sun

C.as light as the sun

D.much lighter than the sun

The sun is really a star. It's much bigger than the earth and it is very hot. Some people have been to the moon，but we know no one can go to the sun. It’s too hot for people to live any where near it. The sun is three hundred thousand times heavier than the earth and more than amillion times larger.

l. Long ago people thought________ (　)

A. the sun circled the earth

B. the earth circled the sun

C. the earth Went round the sun

D. the moon Went round the sun

2. It takes _________ (　)

A. the sun one year to go all the way round the earth

B. the earth one year to go all  the way round the sun

C. the earth one month to go round the sun

D. the sun one month to go round the earth

3. In fact the earth travels __________ in the space.(　)

A. a million kilometers an hour

B. half a thousand kilometers a minute

C. Very fast

D. very slowly

4. People can never live anywhere near the sun because________ (　)

A. the sun is too hot

B. the sun is too far

C. the sun is too big

D. spaceships can’t reach the sun

5. The earth is___________.(　)

A. as heavy as the Sun

B. much heavier than the Sun

C. as light as the sun

D. much lighter than the sun

A long time ago, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play with it every day. But time went by, the little boy had    32   and he no longer played around the tree.
　　 One day, the boy came back to the tree. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a    33   I can’t play with you now.” The boy replied, “I need    34   .” “Sorry, I don’t have any. But you can pick all my apples and    35   them.” The boy picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. He didn’t come back. The tree was sad.
　　 The other day, the boy returned and the tree was so    36   . “Come and play with me.” The tree said. “I need a house for my family. Can you help me?” “You can cut off my branches（枝干）to build your house.”   37   the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.
The tree was glad to see him happy, but the boy didn’t come since then. The tree was lonely again. One hot summer day, the boy came back again after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have    38   for you anymore.
“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am    39   after all these years.” The boy replied. “Good! Please sit down with me and have a rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…
This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with them. But when we grow up, we    40   them, and only come to them when we are41    trouble. You may think that the boy is cruel（殘忍）to the tree, but that’s how many of us are treating to our parents.
【小題1】A. grown up                B. dressed up               C. got up
【小題2】A. tree                    B. child                  C. toy
【小題3】A. money                   B. time                    C. help
【小題4】A. eat                    B. sell                   C. buy
【小題5】A. sad                     B. calm                     C. happy
【小題6】A. So                     B. But                     C. Because
【小題7】A. anything                B. something                C. nothing
【小題8】A. angry                   B. tired                   C. shy
【小題9】A. hate                   B. love                    C. leave
【小題10】A. at                     B. for                      C. in

A long time ago, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play with it every day. But time went by, the little boy had    32    and he no longer played around the tree.

　　 One day, the boy came back to the tree. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a    33    I can’t play with you now.” The boy replied, “I need    34   .” “Sorry, I don’t have any. But you can pick all my apples and    35    them.” The boy picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. He didn’t come back. The tree was sad.

　　 The other day, the boy returned and the tree was so    36   . “Come and play with me.” The tree said. “I need a house for my family. Can you help me?” “You can cut off my branches（枝干）to build your house.”   37    the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.

The tree was glad to see him happy, but the boy didn’t come since then. The tree was lonely again. One hot summer day, the boy came back again after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have    38    for you anymore.

“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am    39    after all these years.” The boy replied. “Good! Please sit down with me and have a rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with them. But when we grow up, we    40    them, and only come to them when we are41    trouble. You may think that the boy is cruel（殘忍）to the tree, but that’s how many of us are treating to our parents.

1.A. grown up               B. dressed up               C. got up

2.A. tree                   B. child                    C. toy

3.A. money                  B. time                     C. help

4.A. eat                        B. sell                     C. buy

5.A. sad                        B. calm                     C. happy

6.A. So                     B. But                      C. Because

7.A. anything               B. something                C. nothing

8.A. angry                  B. tired                    C. shy

9.A. hate                   B. love                     C. leave

10.A. at                    B. for                      C. in

A long time ago, my grandma and grandpa lived in a house with a big front yard. They planted lots of vegetables and flowers in the yard.

They worked hard to keep the garden growing. All summer long, the family ate food from the garden and enjoyed the flowers.

Years passed. It became harder for them to keep up the garden. So they made it a little smaller.

Then one summer Grandpa died. It was a lonely winter for Grandma. It was hard for her to care for the garden alone. When spring came, she planted just a few vegetables and flowers.

One day in the early summer, Grandma heard big noises in the yard. She looked out of the window and saw thousands of bees.

What could she do? Should she hire someone to get rid of the bees? But that would cost more than she could afford. She decided to wait.

Over the next few days, the bees were busy with their own business. Grandma decided the bees wouldn’t bother anyone, so she didn’t give them another thought.

That summer, Grandma’s little garden grew and grew. The neighbors would stop to admire the big crop of vegetables and the lovely flowers.

One day, Grandma’s brother vis­ited. As Grandma made him delicious squash pan cakes (南瓜煎餅), she told him about the bees.

Frank said, “Farmers often hire beekeepers to set up beehives (蜂窩). The bees, pollinate (傳粉) the crops and help them to grow.”

“So that’s why my garden is doing so well!” Grandma exclaimed (歡呼). After that, she believed that Grandpa had sent the bees to take his place and make Grandma’s little garden grow and grow...

1.The garden became smaller than before, because .

A. the grandpa died

B. they became old

C. they didn’t have enough money

D. Because they didn’t need so much food

2.What did Grandma think of the bees at first?

A. They were noisy. B. They were helpful to the garden.

C. They could make honey. D. They were sent by Grandpa.

3.The underlined word “hire” in paragraph 6 may mean_________.

A.“解雇” B.“允許” C.“出租” D.“雇傭”

4.Why did the garden grow well that Summer?

A. Because of Grandpa.

B. Because of Grandma.

C. Because of the help of the bees.

D. Because of the good weather.

5.Which of the following statement is not true according to the text?

A. Grandma wouldn’t get aid of bees any more.

B. The garden gives them a lot.

C. Grandpa sent the bees to help Grandma.

D. The neighbors also loved the garden.

A long time ago, there was a seed(種子) and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him. Thus, feeling inferior(低等的), the seed gave no importance to his existence(存在).Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun. Later, he was given rain.Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. “Thank God for this. I really need some rest,” he heard the traveler say.“What are you talking about?” the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that.

“Who just spoke?” the shocked man asked.“It is me. A seed.” “A seed?” The man looked at the big tree. “Are you joking? You are not a seed. You are a big tree!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Why do you think people come here?”

What do they come here for?”

“To feel your shade(樹蔭)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time.”

The traveler’s words brought him pride.

The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture(折磨) by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up.

“Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great.

1.From the first paragraph, we can learn that the seed .

A. needed someone that could look after himself

B. paid great attention to himself [

C. dreamt that he would grow up into a big tree.

D. felt ignored(被忽略的) and didn’t believe in himself

2.The traveller sat by the seed’s side to .

A. keep off the rain

B. take care of it

C. have a rest and enjoy the shade.

D. talk with the big tree

3.How did the seed feel after hearing the traveller’s words?

A. Sad B. Proud

C. Guilty(內(nèi)疚的) D. Sorry

4.With the passage , the writer wants to tell us .

A. we should never laugh at others

B. the seed should be praised(表揚(yáng)) for his strength

C. we should never lose heart.

D. we need funny stories to make our life interesting

5.Where is the passage probably taken from ?

A. A history bookB. A science book

C. A story bookD. A magazine

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him．Thus, feeling inferior （低等的）, the seed gave no importance to his existence （存在）．

       Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun．Later, he was given rain．

       Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side．“Thank God for this．I really need some rest,” he heard the traveler say．

       “What are you talking about?” the seed quickly asked．He thought the man was making fun of him．No one ever spoke to him like that．

       “Who just spoke?” the shocked man asked．

       “It is me．A seed．”

       `“A seed?” The man looked at the big tree．“Are you joking? You are not a seed．You are a big tree!”

       “Really?”

       “Yes! Why else do you think people come here?”

       “What do they come here for?”

       “To feel your shade （樹蔭）! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time．”

       A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride．

       The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life．The years of torture （折磨） by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up．

       “Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable．Wow! That’s great!”

The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because ______．

       A．nobody looked after him B．he was thrown into the open air

       C．he was such a small seed  D．he didn’t believe in himself

The traveler sat by the seed’s side to ______．

       A．escape from the rain

       B．thank God for offering him a tree

       C．have a rest and enjoy the shade

       D．talk with the big tree

The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ______．

       A．tell us that we should help each other

       B．praise the seed for his strength

       C．teach us not to laugh at others

       D．tell us never to lose hope

Where does the passage most probably come from?

       A．A history book．            B．A science book．

       C．A storybook．             D．A novel．

A long time ago there lived a farmer in a village. One day, while   36  in the fields, the farmer’s son   37  and broke his leg. The villagers went to the __ 38 __ and said，“My goodness, what great misfortune! Your son has broken his leg; now he can’t   39  you in the fields.”O(jiān)ne day later, government troop (軍隊(duì)) went to the village   40  young men to join the __ 41 _. They had to leave the boy ___42  because his leg was broken. Again, the villagers came and said，“My goodness, what great __ 43 __!”  The farmer replied, “It is neither fortune __ 44 __ misfortune.”
Then one day the farmer’s    45   horse jumped the fence and ran away. The villagers came and said，“What great misfortune that your horse has run away.” Two or three days later, the horse __ 46 __ with a dozen wild horses ___47   it. The villagers came and said，“What great misfortune that your horse came back with twelve_ 48 __.”
The farmer was __49 __ enough to know that nothing was either fortune or misfortune. Everything that happens has a ___50 __ and meaning beyond   51   appearances of the events. So many times, we are __ 52  by the feelings we have about the events in our lives. Remember: “Nothing is long or short, hot or cold, good or bad.” There is no   53   in thinking of something as good or bad, because we __ 54  know what will happen next. The best thing we can do is__ 55  it.

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him．Thus, feeling inferior （低等的）, the seed gave no importance to his existence （存在）．
Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun．Later, he was given rain．
Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side．“Thank God for this．I really need some rest,” he heard the traveler say．
“What are you talking about?” the seed quickly asked．He thought the man was making fun of him．No one ever spoke to him like that．
“Who just spoke?” the shocked man asked．
“It is me．A seed．”
`“A seed?” The man looked at the big tree．“Are you joking? You are not a seed．You are a big tree!”
“Really?”
“Yes! Why else do you think people come here?”
“What do they come here for?”
“To feel your shade （樹蔭）! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time．”
A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride．
The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life．The years of torture （折磨） by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up．
“Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable．Wow! That’s great!”
【小題1】The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because ______．

A long time ago, before human beings lived on the earth, little coral polyps（水螅）settled around tropical （熱帶的）coastlines and constructed corals. Over a long period they created lots of reefs. Yet, pollution, climate change and commercial fisheries are limiting the chance of future generations knowing or seeing many of the reefs and sea creatures that exist. Hence, take action to dive now and you can explore the underwater world.
Commercial underwater diving began in ancient Greece. Diving in general means that the whole body is completely in water. On that account there are lots of exciting and quite adventurous ways to dive, like shark cage diving, scuba diving（戴水肺潛水）and reef diving.
There are great coral reefs all over the world, but usually they are situated in warm, clear water such as the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, where they grow best. This is why there are no coral reefs on the west coast of South Africa. However, South Africa’s east coast offers much brightly coloured sea life.
In South Africa more than 100,000 dives a year are made just in coral reefs, which are one of the natural wonders of the world. To see the whole beauty of the reef the right diving gear（設(shè)備） is an essential requirement. This means a perfect fitting diving mask and fins, as well as a snorkel（呼吸管）and a friend. Diving alone is dangerous because there may be strong currents you are not aware of, and it’s a lot more fun to share the experience with someone. However, before you can explore the deeper sea, a certificated and checked scuba, a wetsuit and of course a license will be needed. Whether you choose the snorkel or the scuba to spot the colourful underwater world, try to touch as little as possible, be careful with the corals and don’t strike the fishes, because the complex ecosystem is very sensitive.
【小題1】The following factors probably affect coral reefs EXCEPT ________.

A long time ago, there lived a poor man whose real name has been forgotten. He was little and old and his face was wrinkled, and that was why his friends called him Mr. Vinegar. His wife was also little and old, and they lived in a little old cottage at the back of a little old field.
"John," said Mrs. Vinegar, "you must go to town and buy a cow. I will milk her and churn（攪拌） butter and we shall never want for anything."
"That is a good plan," said Mr. Vinegar, so he started off to town while his wife waited by the roadside.
Mr. Vinegar walked up and down the street of the town looking for a cow. After a time, a farmer came that way, leading one that was very pretty and fat.
"Oh, if I only had that cow," said Mr. Vinegar, "I would be the happiest man in the world!"
"She's a very good cow," said the farmer.
"Well," said Mr. Vinegar, "I'll give you these 50 gold pieces for her."
The farmer smiled and held out his hand for the money, "You may have her," he said, "I always like to oblige（施恩惠） , my friends!"
Mr. Vinegar took hold of the cow's halter and led her up and down the street. "I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, "for only see how all the people are looking at me and my cow!"
But at one end of the street, he met a man playing bagpipes（風(fēng)笛） . He stopped and listened -- Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dee.
"Oh, that is the sweetest music I ever heard," he said, "and just see how all the children crowd around the man and give him pennies! If I only had those bagpipes, I would be the happiest man in the world!!"
"I'll sell them to you," said the piper.
"Will you? Well then, since I have no money, I will give you this cow for them."
"You may have them," answered the piper, "I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away.
"Now we will have some music," said Mr. Vinegar, but try as hard as he might, he could not play a tune. He could get nothing out of the bagpipes but "squeak, squeak". The children instead of giving him pennies laughed at him.
The day was chilly and in trying to play the pipes, his fingers grew very cold. He wished he had kept the cow.
He just started for home when he met a man who had warm gloves on his hands. "Oh, if I only had those pretty gloves," he said, "I would be the happiest man in the world."
"How much will you give for them?" asked the man.
"Oh, I have no money, but I will give you these bagpipes," answered Mr. Vinegar.
"Well," said the man, "you may have them for I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar gave him the bagpipes and drew the gloves on over his half frozen fingers. "How lucky I am," he said as he trudged（跋涉） homeward. His hands were soon quite warm, but the road was rough and the walking hard. He was very tired when he came to the foot of the steep hill. "How shall I ever get to the top?" he said. Just then he met a man who was walking the other way. He had a stick in his hand which he used as a cane to help him along.
"My friend," said Mr. Vinegar, "if only I had that stick of yours to help me up this hill, I would be the happiest man in the world!"
"How much will you give me for it?" asked the man.
"Well, I have no money, but I will give you this pair of warm gloves," said Mr. Vinegar.
"Well," said the man, "you may have it for I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar's hands were now quite warm, so he gave the gloves to the man and took the stout（結(jié)實(shí)的） stick to help him along. "How lucky I am!'' he said as he toiled upward.
At the top of the hill he stopped to rest. But as he was thinking of all his good luck that day, he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw only a green parrot sitting in a tree.
"Mr. Vinegar, Mr. Vinegar," it cried.
"What now?" said Mr. Vinegar.
"You're a dunce（傻瓜） , you're a dunce!'' answered the bird, "you went to seek your fortune and you found it, then you gave it for a cow, and the cow for some bagpipes, and the bagpipes for some gloves, and the gloves for a stick which you might of cut by the roadside. He He He, you're a dunce! You're a dunce!''
This made Mr. Vinegar very angry. He threw the stick at the bird with all his might. But the bird only answered, "You're a dunce! You're a dunce!" And the stick lodged in the tree where he could not get it again.
Mr. Vinegar went on slowly for he had many things to think about. His wife was standing by the roadside and as soon as she saw him, she cried out, "Where's the cow? Where's the cow?" "Well, I just don't know where the cow is," said Mr. Vinegar. And then he told her the whole story.
【小題1】What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the passage?

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him. Thus, feeling inferior (低級(jí)的), the seed gave no importance to his existence (存在). Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field in the sun. Later, he was given rain. Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. "Thank you God for this. I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say. "What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that. "Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked. "It is me. A seed." "A seed?" The man looked at the big tree. "Are you joking? You are not a seed. You are a big tree!" "Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?" "To feel your shade (樹陰)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time." A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride. The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture (折磨) by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up. "Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great!"
【小題1】The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because __________.

A long time ago, in an Italian city, the people there built a tower which was admired by everyone passing through. A little further down the road, in a neighboring city, they had built a tower of similar beauty. The two towers were equally well known. The people of the second city, envious (妒忌的) and filled with pride, planned to destroy the neighboring tower so it wouldn’t take attention away from their own. One night, they came to the tower and began to quietly undermine its foundations(地基).
The next morning, the tower was leaning(傾斜) slightly ,but nobody noticed. The same happened for the following few days, until a little girl who was passing by pointed up at the tower and said: “ I think the tower is going to fall down.” And everyone around looked closely, and could see that she was right .Nervousness spread through the city. And they tried many methods to try to straighten the tower, but nothing seemed to work. That was, until one day when the same little girl was walking up again, and she put her arm on the side of the tower to rest. She felt the tower shaking slightly. When she took her hand off it, the movement stopped. And when she put it back on again, the same thing happened. The girl spent a while doing this, until she was completely certain of what she had discovered: “ The tower is ticklish ( 怕癢的) ！” She ran to get some plants, and she planted them right next to the tower. Now if the tower leant over any further it would be tickled by the leaves of those plants. Being a ticklish tower, it would then return to where it had been. In this way, the girl managed to make sure that the tower didn’t fall down, but still kept it leaning a little.
The fact that it was leaning made it even more famous, and this taught a fine lesson to the envious people of the neighboring city.
【小題1】Why did the people of the second city plan to destroy the neighboring tower?

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him. Thus, feeling inferior (低級(jí)的), the seed gave no importance to his existence (存在). Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field in the sun. Later, he was given rain. Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. "Thank you God for this. I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say. "What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that. "Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked. "It is me. A seed." "A seed?" The man looked at the big tree. "Are you joking? You are not a seed. You are a big tree!" "Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?" "To feel your shade (樹陰)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time." A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride. The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture (折磨) by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up. "Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great!"

1.The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because __________.

A．nobody looked after him

B．he was thrown into the open air

C．he can’t not grow up

D．he didn’t believe in himself

2.The traveler sat by the seed’s side to _____________.

A．escape from the rain

B．thank God for offering him a tree

C．have a rest and enjoy the shade

D．talk with the big tree

3.How did the seed feel after hearing the traveler’s words at last?

A．Sad.              B．Proud.            C．Funny.            D．Sorry.

4.The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ________.

A．tell us a very interesting story

B．praise the seed for his strength

C．teach readers a lesson: don’t laugh at others

D．tell us that we should never lose hope

5.Where does the passage most probably come from?

A．A history book.     B．A science book.     C．A story book.       D．A guide book.

A long time ago, before human beings lived on the earth, little coral polyps（水螅）settled around tropical （熱帶的）coastlines and constructed corals. Over a long period they created lots of reefs. Yet, pollution, climate change and commercial fisheries are limiting the chance of future generations knowing or seeing many of the reefs and sea creatures that exist. Hence, take action to dive now and you can explore the underwater world.

Commercial underwater diving began in ancient Greece. Diving in general means that the whole body is completely in water. On that account there are lots of exciting and quite adventurous ways to dive, like shark cage diving, scuba diving（戴水肺潛水）and reef diving.

There are great coral reefs all over the world, but usually they are situated in warm, clear water such as the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, where they grow best. This is why there are no coral reefs on the west coast of South Africa. However, South Africa’s east coast offers much brightly coloured sea life.

In South Africa more than 100,000 dives a year are made just in coral reefs, which are one of the natural wonders of the world. To see the whole beauty of the reef the right diving gear（設(shè)備） is an essential requirement. This means a perfect fitting diving mask and fins, as well as a snorkel（呼吸管）and a friend. Diving alone is dangerous because there may be strong currents you are not aware of, and it’s a lot more fun to share the experience with someone. However, before you can explore the deeper sea, a certificated and checked scuba, a wetsuit and of course a license will be needed. Whether you choose the snorkel or the scuba to spot the colourful underwater world, try to touch as little as possible, be careful with the corals and don’t strike the fishes, because the complex ecosystem is very sensitive.

1.The following factors probably affect coral reefs EXCEPT ________.

A．sea creatures      B．pollution          C．fishing            D．climate change

2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Human beings appeared before corals were created.

B．One needs a license to dive into the deeper sea.

C．Diving alone has many advantages.

D．The origin of diving is in modern Greece.

3.There are no coral reefs on the west coast of South Africa probably because of a lack of ________.

A．large waters and soft sand

B．warm currents and delicious food

C．friendly creatures and flat seabed

D．clear water and suitable temperature

4.The last paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A．diving alone under the sea is rather dangerous

B．some matters we need pay attention to when diving

C．South Africa is a popular place for diving

D．what we should wear when diving

A long time ago, there lived a poor man whose real name has been forgotten. He was little and old and his face was wrinkled, and that was why his friends called him Mr. Vinegar. His wife was also little and old, and they lived in a little old cottage at the back of a little old field.

"John," said Mrs. Vinegar, "you must go to town and buy a cow. I will milk her and churn（攪拌） butter and we shall never want for anything."

"That is a good plan," said Mr. Vinegar, so he started off to town while his wife waited by the roadside.

Mr. Vinegar walked up and down the street of the town looking for a cow. After a time, a farmer came that way, leading one that was very pretty and fat.

"Oh, if I only had that cow," said Mr. Vinegar, "I would be the happiest man in the world!"

"She's a very good cow," said the farmer.

"Well," said Mr. Vinegar, "I'll give you these 50 gold pieces for her."

The farmer smiled and held out his hand for the money, "You may have her," he said, "I always like to oblige（施恩惠） , my friends!"

Mr. Vinegar took hold of the cow's halter and led her up and down the street. "I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, "for only see how all the people are looking at me and my cow!"

But at one end of the street, he met a man playing bagpipes（風(fēng)笛） . He stopped and listened -- Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dee.

"Oh, that is the sweetest music I ever heard," he said, "and just see how all the children crowd around the man and give him pennies! If I only had those bagpipes, I would be the happiest man in the world!!"

"I'll sell them to you," said the piper.

"Will you? Well then, since I have no money, I will give you this cow for them."

"You may have them," answered the piper, "I always like to oblige a friend."

Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away.

"Now we will have some music," said Mr. Vinegar, but try as hard as he might, he could not play a tune. He could get nothing out of the bagpipes but "squeak, squeak". The children instead of giving him pennies laughed at him.

The day was chilly and in trying to play the pipes, his fingers grew very cold. He wished he had kept the cow.

He just started for home when he met a man who had warm gloves on his hands. "Oh, if I only had those pretty gloves," he said, "I would be the happiest man in the world."

"How much will you give for them?" asked the man.

"Oh, I have no money, but I will give you these bagpipes," answered Mr. Vinegar.

"Well," said the man, "you may have them for I always like to oblige a friend."

Mr. Vinegar gave him the bagpipes and drew the gloves on over his half frozen fingers. "How lucky I am," he said as he trudged（跋涉） homeward. His hands were soon quite warm, but the road was rough and the walking hard. He was very tired when he came to the foot of the steep hill. "How shall I ever get to the top?" he said. Just then he met a man who was walking the other way. He had a stick in his hand which he used as a cane to help him along.

"My friend," said Mr. Vinegar, "if only I had that stick of yours to help me up this hill, I would be the happiest man in the world!"

"How much will you give me for it?" asked the man.

"Well, I have no money, but I will give you this pair of warm gloves," said Mr. Vinegar.

"Well," said the man, "you may have it for I always like to oblige a friend."

Mr. Vinegar's hands were now quite warm, so he gave the gloves to the man and took the stout（結(jié)實(shí)的） stick to help him along. "How lucky I am!'' he said as he toiled upward.

At the top of the hill he stopped to rest. But as he was thinking of all his good luck that day, he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw only a green parrot sitting in a tree.

"Mr. Vinegar, Mr. Vinegar," it cried.

"What now?" said Mr. Vinegar.

"You're a dunce（傻瓜） , you're a dunce!'' answered the bird, "you went to seek your fortune and you found it, then you gave it for a cow, and the cow for some bagpipes, and the bagpipes for some gloves, and the gloves for a stick which you might of cut by the roadside. He He He, you're a dunce! You're a dunce!''

This made Mr. Vinegar very angry. He threw the stick at the bird with all his might. But the bird only answered, "You're a dunce! You're a dunce!" And the stick lodged in the tree where he could not get it again.

Mr. Vinegar went on slowly for he had many things to think about. His wife was standing by the roadside and as soon as she saw him, she cried out, "Where's the cow? Where's the cow?" "Well, I just don't know where the cow is," said Mr. Vinegar. And then he told her the whole story.

1.What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the passage?

2.How many exchanges happen in the passage?

3.Why does the parrot think Mr.Vinegar foolish?

4.What’s Mrs.Vinegar’s feeling after she knew the fact?

A long time ago, in an Italian city, the people there built a tower which was admired by everyone passing through. A little further down the road, in a neighboring city, they had built a tower of similar beauty. The two towers were equally well known. The people of the second city, envious (妒忌的) and filled with pride, planned to destroy the neighboring tower so it wouldn’t take attention away from their own. One night, they came to the tower and began to quietly undermine its foundations(地基).

The next morning, the tower was leaning(傾斜) slightly ,but nobody noticed. The same happened for the following few days, until a little girl who was passing by pointed up at the tower and said: “ I think the tower is going to fall down.” And everyone around looked closely, and could see that she was right .Nervousness spread through the city. And they tried many methods to try to straighten the tower, but nothing seemed to work. That was, until one day when the same little girl was walking up again, and she put her arm on the side of the tower to rest. She felt the tower shaking slightly. When she took her hand off it, the movement stopped. And when she put it back on again, the same thing happened. The girl spent a while doing this, until she was completely certain of what she had discovered: “ The tower is ticklish ( 怕癢的) ！” She ran to get some plants, and she planted them right next to the tower. Now if the tower leant over any further it would be tickled by the leaves of those plants. Being a ticklish tower, it would then return to where it had been. In this way, the girl managed to make sure that the tower didn’t fall down, but still kept it leaning a little.

The fact that it was leaning made it even more famous, and this taught a fine lesson to the envious people of the neighboring city.

1.Why did the people of the second city plan to destroy the neighboring tower?

2.The underlined word“undermine”（in Paragraph1）probably mean “_________”．

3.When local people heard the news that their tower was going to fall down, they were _________.

4.What lesson can we learn from the practice of the envious people in the neighboring city?